Junior libero/defensive specialist Laura Hathaway was in Europe playing for the BIP Southeastern team as part of the European Global Challenge. In the final edition, she writes about making it to the finals of the Global Challenge, playing against her coaches and how the trip has prepared her for the upcoming season.

Altogether, Europe was the experience of a lifetime. My favorite memory of it all would have to be winning semi finals against the USA team that was also the team Dan and Coley coached. That was probably one of the biggest team wins I've ever experienced because there wasn't just one person who carried the team, we all played our hearts out. Although it would have been amazing to win the finals, it was a learning experience. I walked away from the trip taking so much away from both the matches we won and the ones we lost. A lot of people have asked me what it was like to play against my coaches. It was a really cool and unique experience. I guess not many people can say they've competed against their coaches’ team, But if they're trying to figure out how to beat me and I'm trying to figure out how to beat them, it’s really a win-win because it just makes our Stony Brook team better in the long run. Playing against them really made me more excited to play for them.

As I said, we fell short in the finals. It's frustrating to know we could have done so much better, but it was definitely a learning experience. The atmosphere of the gym was incredible. It was one of the biggest crowds I've ever played in front of. The fans were in red, white and blue and chanting "USA!" That in and of itself could one of my top experiences ever.

After the tournament was over, we had a couple days to sightsee in Croatia and Venice. Both places are absolutely beautiful. The Adriatic Sea in Croatia is one of the prettiest sights I've ever seen.

The support I received from everyone was absolutely incredible. I can’t thank you all enough. We're all back now-- back on the grind with training and running camps. This trip was not only an experience of a lifetime, but it has made me more prepared going into preseason than I ever have been. I can't explain how excited I am for season to start and how excited I am for Rigo, Dan, Coley and I to all be playing on the same side.